Record Attendance Expected at Hiroshima’s 80th Anniversary Commemoration
On August 6, 2025, a historic 120 countries and regions, including Palestine and Taiwan, will participate in the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, the local government announced, reports 24brussels.
This year marks a significant moment as both Palestine and Taiwan—neither officially recognized as independent states by Japan—will attend the ceremony for the first time. Notable nuclear powers, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and India, which has not signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty, are also expected to participate. However, several nations including China, Russia, North Korea, and Pakistan have declared they will not send representatives.
Due to previous controversies, particularly regarding Israel’s participation amid ongoing tensions in Gaza, the city has ceased sending formal invitations, opting instead to notify all countries and regions about the ceremony.
The U.S. Ambassador to Japan, George Glass, is confirmed to attend both commemorative events. His predecessor, Rahm Emanuel, notably abstained from the Nagasaki ceremony in 2024 following Japan’s decision to exclude Israel from invitations.
On August 9, Nagasaki is anticipated to set its own record with nearly 100 countries and regions represented at its commemoration.
Recent polling indicates that over 70% of foreign visitors to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum believe the 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki cannot be justified, highlighting an ongoing international discourse surrounding the bombings, which collectively claimed around 210,000 lives and left countless others injured. The bombings led to Japan’s surrender on August 15, 1945, marking the end of World War II, and have had enduring humanitarian and environmental consequences.
